"Rid-O-Skid" Tire Chains

[CudaMan]

I thought I would do a Jay and show the tire chains that I recently purchased from David Stroud via the classifieds. They and their original bag are in excellent condition, thanks David!

There are no instructions, so I'll have to experiment with mounting them on one of my spare rims and tires.

[Henry K. Lee]

Those are COOL Mark!

[D Stroud]

Mark, I bought those at a sale south of Ottawa KS. about eight years ago or so. I was planning on using them on the '25 Coupe, but I just never could bring myself to do it. I was then going to use them as a pattern to make up a set from more modern chains, but never did find any that were good enough to use. Probably a good thing, this whole town is pretty much nothing but hills. Dave

[CudaMan]

I found scans of an original instruction brochure online, here are the first three pages. Due to the 5 pic limit, I will put pages 4-6 in the next post.

[CudaMan]

Here are pages 4-6.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Very nice! Thank you for sharing these photos and scans!
I did not realize that particular type of chain clamp went back that far. I have had and used several sets using almost exactly those clamps many times years ago. I think one of the (believed modern-ish) sets I have that are really close to fitting a model T wheel and planned to use if needed do have that style clamp. I don't think the sets I have are older than the '60s, but maybe?

[Bill Dizer]

Dave, my 25 coupes rear fenders have lots of dents from underneath due to chains breaking and hitting them! This was my grandpa's car that he bought in 1942, and drove until his death in 1958. Our family then moved from Indiana to upstate New York, where the T served as a second car for years! The chains were used both in Indiana and NY. Dad would get the T out on a Saturday and hook all the sleds we had and any of our friends' sleds, toboggans or whatever, and tow us all over the county roads! The T has migrated back to Indiana, and is less than 100 miles from its home! I still have the chains in a box in the shed! The T has an Arvin heater in it, and I also have an accessory defroster that is a glass framed, and nichrome heating wires between the windshield and the glass. It was held on with suction cups. It drew so many amps that the generator had a hard time keeping up, and it really didn't work that well.

[Mark Osterman]

Dave,

Is Butlers Music still in Ottawa Ks? Back when I went to school at the Kansas City Art Institute I worked for Butler doing engraved mother of pearl inlay work on musical instruments.

[Dallas Landers]

Dave's right. You gotta be part goat to get to his house! Pretty sure I could see western Kansas from his yard.

[CudaMan]

LOL (Laugh Out Loud)!

I tried fitting one of the chains to a spare rim and tire I had in the basement and the chains are too short!

How short? Exactly Pi (3.1416) inches too short! Why? Because I run 30 x 3.5 inch OVERSIZE tires, which are really 31 x 4 inch size.

That extra inch in diameter translates to an extra Pi (3.1416) inches in circumference that the chains have to wrap around.

If I ever decide to run these chains, I'll have to get some extra chain and lengthen them. For now, they are hanging up on display.

If anyone has some extra tire chain material they don't need or want, contact me and I'll use your scraps to lengthen these chains.

[Burger in Spokane]

Remember the kids in algebra class saying "When am I ever going to use this crap ?"

Yeah, ... me too !

[Angmar]

Well that is good information since I would like to have a set for myself also.

[D Stroud]

Dallas, Nebraska too. Dave

[Wayne Sheldon]

The easiest fix for tire chains a couple inches short is a handful of chain repair links. The threaded open side type are easiest to use, and not very expensive. Another type may be a bit cheaper, if they can still be found. They are split tapered on one end. A bit open when bought, then you force them into place as either a single link or a splice to a short couple more links of chain. They are usually a bit tricky to force into place, then you beat the half open end shut with a hammer. Both types actually work quite well.

[D Stroud]

Mark O., I have no idea. We have just passed through Ottawa over the years.
Wayne, those are what we in the farming communities around here called "cold shuts", they would no doubt work very well, they have repaired many log chains over the years. I haven't looked for any in years, but I would think they are still available, unless someone smacked a finger while hammering on them and sued the manufacturers for being "dangerous". That wouldn't surprise me at all in this day and age. Dave

[CudaMan]

I bought an old package of repair links on Ebay, if they are too shiny I will "force patina" them to match my existing chains. Thanks all.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Thank you David S ! I never did know what to call them. I think I still have one in my box of small chain miscellaneous left over from a tire chain repair many years ago. Now if I can just remember what to call them for more than a few days?

[Oldav8tor]

I know this thread is about vintage chains but to hijack the subject slightly, a Google search brought up a few places that will make custom chains for any application - which I assume includes our Model T's. If you want a set of chains to allow you to operate your car more safely in the winter and don't care if they are new manufacture, that might be the way to go. Save the vintage ones for display.

years ago I had a set of custom chains made for the big turf tires on my Ford Tractor. They've held up well and give me great traction on ice whereas my smooth tires used to just sit and spin.

Check out:
https://www.tirechain.com/Snow-Chains-Custom-Made.htm
https://www.glacierchain.com/